by London Casey
“It’s busy and crazy. But also wild and fun.”
I laughed. “That’s good. That’s what you went there for, right?”
“Yeah. You can’t imagine it, Liam. The conferences are not worth anything. But the networking…” She let out a breath. “There were a few people who knew me. Knew my name. I didn’t even realize I had a reputation.”
“Oh yeah? And what’s that?”
“A cold-hearted bitch,” Miranda said with pride.
I laughed again. “No wonder the heating bill in the apartment costs so much.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing. It was a joke.”
“I don’t bring my work home,” she said. “Are you suggesting I’m-”
“Miranda,” I said. “I’m laughing. I’m joking. I think it’s great you’re meeting people while you’re there.”
“I hope so,” she said. “I met a few big-time names too.”
“That’s good.”
“There was a husband and wife team that made me think of us. I really wish you’d consider getting out of corporate law.”
“Ah, I like it here,” I said.
“You’re better than what you do,” Miranda said.
“I appreciate that.”
“We can move to Boston and make it happen,” she said. “We can start our own firm. If we sold…” Miranda sighed. “If I could just get rid of that building, you know?”
“I know.”
“I’ll own that mistake, but… I have a way to get out of it though…”
By having Emily sleep with some guy who’s going to buy it?
“Miranda, focus on your time there,” I said.
“I am. I’m just planning. Our future. You know?”
I nodded. But I didn’t speak.
I opened my mouth to say something before she got pissed at me for not agreeing with her.
But I froze up again when I saw Emily out in the hallway, looking around.
I hurried to stand up.
When she saw me, she smiled ear to ear and waved.
She was so bright… cheery… real…
“Liam?” Miranda snapped.
“I’m here,” I said. “Sorry. I’m at work. Busy day. I had a case go the wrong way over some paperwork issues and-”
“I’m getting ready to head back out of the hotel,” Miranda cut in. “I wanted to talk to you for a minute. But I better get going too.”
“Yeah,” I said. “Enjoy it all. Keep making those contacts.”
“Trust me, I am,” she said. “This is so important to me. I’m so happy here, Liam. I feel like I belong here.”
I stared forward and saw Emily just outside my office door.
Still smiling.
“Yeah, I know the feeling,” I said. “Keep in touch when you can, okay?”
“Oh, shit, someone’s at the door,” Miranda said. “That might be Kylie. I’ve got to go, Liam.”
The call ended.
I stood there for a second with nobody on the other end of the call.
Looking at Emily.
I could have easily just tucked my phone to my shoulder and told her I was super busy and I’d text or call later.
There was no way I was going to do that to Emily.
“Sorry for just barging in,” Emily said as I raced around my desk.
“No, don’t worry about it,” I said. “Come in. Make yourself at home.”
I shut the office door and swallowed hard.
I spun around and Emily was wandering toward the window.
“This is your view?” she asked.
“It’s my view,” I said. “Realistically, my view is the desk. I don’t get to stand there all day and get paid to look out a window.”
“Now that would be a dream job,” Emily said. She looked back at me and smiled.
“Yeah, it would be,” I said. “So… what’s this unexpected visit for?”
“I wanted to kind of apologize.”
“For what?”
“It’s going to sound dumb.”
“I doubt that, Em.”
“When we were talking yesterday. I kind of ruined the mood. Or whatever. Not the mood. Not that there was a mood…”
“I know what you mean.”
“You don’t though. I have no idea why I started talking about Jon. I just think I felt comfortable talking to you. Sitting there with coffee. Just two friends…”
Friends. Right. Just friends. Always friends.
I nodded. “It’s okay. I kind of got defensive. I should be the one apologizing.”
“I’m not an idiot, Liam. I’m not the kind of woman that goes back to someone who hurt her.”
“I would never think that about you. And even if you were, I guess that’s something you have to figure out for yourself, right?”
“Right,” she said. “It was just nice to talk to you. After that, it got weird. We were kind of quiet. We both made up excuses to leave.”
She was right about that.
I wasn’t happy with myself for wanting to get away from her yesterday, but that was in the past.
“Then let’s just forget about it,” I said.
“That’s why I came here. I wanted to see what kind of wedding stuff we could tackle today.”
“How about nothing?” I asked.
“Nothing?”
“Forget about that stuff.”
That stuff. Just my wedding…
“Then what do you want to do?” Emily asked.
“You tell me. Pick something to do. I don’t feel like sitting around tonight and I don’t want to go out with the guys.”
“Not in the mood for a bar fight?” Emily teased.
“Hey, remember the time that kid punched Steve?” I asked.
“The kid that threw up?” Emily asked, her eyes going wide.
“Yeah,” I said. “What was his name?”
“Jeremy.”
“That’s right,” I said, snapping my fingers. “Steve had been picking on Jeremy all night. And Jeremy snapped. He punched Steve good. Steve knew it was coming and took the punch.”
“But then Jeremy ruined his legacy by throwing up because he was so scared,” Emily said.
“Poor guy,” I said. “He could have been a king.”
“I wonder what he’s doing now.”
“You should look him up,” I said. “Ask him out on a date.”
Emily laughed. “Oh, so you’re going to hook me up with someone?”
“I’ll be your wingman.”
“Do I wear the pretend engagement ring or not when that happens?” Emily asked, lifting her left eyebrow.
“You win,” I said.
She looked out the window again.
I told my mind, my heart, and my eyes to look at the desk or the back of her head.
Do not…
Do. Not.
… look… down…
“Music,” Emily said.
“What?”
“Music,” she said again. She turned around. “That music club. That’s what I feel like doing tonight. I’ve talked about going there for months. And I never have. I always find an excuse. You’ll make me go, right?”
“If that’s what you want, then yes,” I said.
“Done,” she said. “Meet me at my place tonight? I mean, outside my place.”
“Sure,” I said.
My desk phone started to ring.
“I’ve been waiting for that call all day,” I said. “Shit.”
“I’ll see you later then,” Emily said as she jogged toward the office door.
She left the office and I picked up the phone.
“Mr. Jenkins,” I said. “I’ve been waiting to hear from you…”
My mind suddenly didn’t give a damn about the call or that my job was probably teetering on the line, meaning I had to make Mr. Jenkins happy.
All I could think about was one question.
Were Emily and I going out on a date tonight?
Chapter Twenty-Four
Emily
This has nothing to do with his wedding. This has nothing to do with helping Miranda. This has nothing to do with… what?
I sucked in a very shaky breath as I stared at myself in the bathroom mirror.
There was a really big part of me that said what I was doing was wrong. Very wrong.
But how true was that?
I’ve known Liam for a long time. We never did anything. Maybe in my mind and heart I fantasized about it. And maybe those fantasies (which never came true, by the way) had somehow manifested themselves into something like memories, which meant spending time with Liam felt wrong.
When it wasn’t wrong at all.
We were two friends. Old friends.
We’re just-
The doorbell buzzed.
I exhaled the same shaky breath and dove out of the bathroom.
I looked down at myself.
More proof that tonight was just two friends hanging out.
I wore old shoes, my favorite jeans, and a long sleeve shirt. Nothing fancy at all. The comfy jeans were deemed that because they were worn, broken in, and believe me, they did nothing to help with my figure. Nothing was hugged. Nothing was showing off. Nothing was going to be tick-tocking Liam into submission.
When I opened the apartment door, Liam smiled, holding a single pink orchid.
“For laughs,” he said as he handed me the flower.
“Did you seriously buy this and carry it around?” I asked.
“Like I said, for laughs.”
Well, job well done.
I laughed and took the flower from him.
“I know it’s informal or whatever, but I don’t think it’s right to pick up a woman for a night out without giving her a flower,” Liam said.
I put the orchid down on the table next to the door. “So how many women do you secretly take out?”
“Oh, I thought you knew about my side business.”
“And what’s that?” I asked as I stepped out of the apartment, pulling the door shut, checking it was locked.
“My dating service,” Liam said. “I figured I have so much charm to offer the world, why not spread it around?”
“As long as you’re not spreading crabs, right?”
“Come on, Em, you know I’m more of a lobster guy anyway.”
I looked at Liam and punched his arm. “That’s gross.”
He laughed and bumped his hand into mine.
We both froze in place.
I wasn’t sure if he just tried to hold my hand or…
Liam cleared his throat. “Ready?”
We were already halfway toward the exit.
I smiled and nodded.
Was I actually ready for tonight?
Hell. No.
A guy named Dozer stood at the door and let us in.
“It’s open mic tonight,” he said. “So if I have that itch to try out your voice, tonight’s the night.”
Liam looked at me and I shook my head.
“Don’t even,” I warned.
He showed his hands and we went into the music club.
It was about three-fourths full. The stage was bigger than it looked from outside. With rich, purple lights shining down on an empty, wooden barstool and a mic stand.
I swallowed hard when I saw it.
Then I nibbled on my bottom lip…
“Imagining yourself up there, Em?” Liam asked.
“No,” I lied.
Liam laughed and gently touched my wrist.
I gasped.
But he had no choice other than to touch my wrist. To guide me to the bar. To keep me and him from getting separated.
Of course the second we got to the bar, we were greeted by a beautiful woman with pitch-black hair, vixen eyes, and tattoos on her wrists.
“What can I get the happy couple?” she asked.
At that point, Liam and I looked at each other and laughed it off.
“Two beers,” Liam said.
I nudged my elbow into Liam. “She’s your type, I bet. She tells the story without even talking to her.”
Liam leaned against the bar. “Is that so, Em? Did you forget the part where I’m engaged?”
I gasped. Heat rushed to my face.
You forgot he’s engaged…
“Oh, I’m just kidding,” I said. “You know that. I’m picking on you. I meant that, you know, if you didn’t give up the skateboarding life… she would have been your type.”
The bartender came back with two beers.
Liam paid.
I didn’t even attempt to offer money for the drink.
Instead, my embarrassment ran through my body.
“And what about you?” Liam asked as he turned away from the bar.
I followed him as he walked. “What about me?”
“Where did it all get twisted?” He looked down at me for a second as we walked. “I was skateboarding, causing trouble, the cops chasing me around town. Now I’m wearing a suit, defending trademarks and patents. And you were a great singer. Playing guitar. Secretly dreaming of becoming a musician.”
“Things change,” I said.
“When you moved away, right?”
Liam stopped at an empty table and pointed.
I nodded.
He pulled a chair out for me and swung around to sit across from it.
“So what happened, Em?” Liam asked. “I know we faded apart. Which sucked. But we met again at the college.”
Where I introduced you to Miranda and you two hit it off and then took off to law school…
“You know what, Liam?” I asked. “Does any of it matter?”
Liam leaned forward and opened his mouth.
“Hello out there!” a voice boomed through the microphone.
I looked to the stage and saw three women.
“I’m Carla. This is Faye and Robin. We’re going to sing. Is that okay?”
A handful of people clapped.
“When are you going to sing, Em?” Liam called out to me.
I looked at him and shook my head. “Never.”
“I skateboarded and almost lost my life,” he said. “The least you can do is sing.”
I put my finger to my lips.
The three women started to sing.
Which saved me from where this conversation - and night - were headed.
The thing about a song… it always ends.
Thing about a set of songs… they always end too.
I managed to get twenty minutes of just staring at the stage as the three women sang.
They were amazing.
Three different voices, different harmonies, mixing together that one second made me shiver and the next second made me a little jealous.
I had been walking by this club for so long, not sure if I could enter it and enjoy myself. Because Liam was right. Singing and playing guitar had been an important part of my life.
Then.
Not now.
I hadn’t sang a note… other than in the shower or while cooking, which really wasn’t singing. It was just messing around.
Everyone clapped for the three women.
Carla. Faye. Robin.
Carla waved.
Liam whistled.
Then he said. “Your turn, Em.”
My head whipped around. “Stop it.”
“If you don’t, I will,” he said.
“What?”
He stood up. “I’m going up there. I’ve never sang in my life. I don’t sing. Ever. Not even in the shower.”
My eyes struggled to look at his eyes.
Liam… in the shower…
No, no, no, no…
I blamed the beer.
That whole one beer that apparently was so strong that it was making me think about Liam naked in the shower.
“Liam, sit down,” I said.
“Nope,” he said. “I have a song to sing.”
He moved from the table and I stood up.
There is a way, Emily. This is the Liam you knew all those years ago. The one who was crazy like this. Who looked for adventure and trouble, no matter what…
Maybe he wasn’t exactly the same bad boy, but he was badass enough to walk up to the stage like he owned it.
The person controlling the lights and mic pointed to him.
A few seconds later, Liam was on the stage.
I put my hands over my mouth as the shock rippled through my body.
“Hey there,” Liam said.
A few people yelled HEY! back.
“I’m going to be real with you,” Liam said. “I can’t sing. But I’m doing this to get the best singer in this place up on this stage. And I’m not leaving this stage until she comes up here. So feel free to boo me, to yell at me, to chase me off this stage. If you’re going to throw a drink, place it on the stage so I can drink it. Or better yet, you keep drinking. Because I really suck at singing.”
Liam looked at me.
I shook my head.
He cleared his throat.
He put both hands around the microphone and closed his eyes.
Liam, no. No. You can’t…
He belted out a note that made my eardrums want to call it quits.
I put my fingers to my ears and cringed.
I was embarrassed for him.
It took three seconds before people started to boo him.
I looked around and everyone was slowly covering their eyes.
Even the gorgeous bartender.
She looked at me, remembering who we were.
She pointed to me, then to the stage.
I shook my head.
She put her hands together, begging me.
Liam didn’t stop with that first note either.
He began to sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star… but he tried to do it like a professional singer would do the national anthem, except he was incapable of hitting any note that was even semi decent.
I allowed the monstrosity to continue for another ten seconds before I took one step forward.
When I did, Liam looked right at me. And he pointed.
Now I had almost everyone in the club looking at me.
And he kept singing.
Those awful notes… eating at my ears…
I mentally marked the date and the time, because that’s when I officially decided I was going to hate Liam for the rest of my life.
Because I knew I was about to get up on that stage and sing.
